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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120506">Christmas Candles</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948'>dragonwings948</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Doctor Who, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Audio: The Diary of River Song Series 04, Candles, Chance Meetings, Christmas, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Lights, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, POV River Song, Tooth-Rotting Fluff</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:54:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,733</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28120506</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwings948/pseuds/dragonwings948</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>One lonely Christmas Eve, River runs into the very last man she expected to see.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fourth Doctor &amp; River Song, Fourth Doctor/River Song, The Doctor &amp; River Song, The Doctor/River Song</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Christmas Candles</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>You'll still be able to follow this fine if you haven't heard TDoRS 4, but there are just a few mentions. :)</p><p>Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ^-^</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Two Christmases within the span of a couple months. That was the problem with time travelling, River thought. Holidays lost their novelty.</p><p>Especially this time.</p><p>The atmosphere was cheery, as it always was. People were smiling, snow was falling, and music and laughter came to River's ears. Normally, it would have affected her at least a little, but all she could do was think about the last time she'd been in a scene like this. The blank look. The curious frown. The man she loved, gazing at her like she was just another person on the street. And to him, she had been.</p><p>"Excuse me, miss!”</p><p>The voice of a young boy shook River from her thoughts. The dark-haired boy, no more than ten years old, was sitting at a table filled with small lit candles. His teeth were crooked and his face was dirty, but he wore a huge smile.</p><p>River found herself compelled to stop.</p><p>“Would you like to buy a candle?" the boy asked. “They're the finest down this whole street, I can promise you that!”</p><p>River smiled at his enthusiasm. She looked down the market street and saw that, indeed, many were selling candles.</p><p>"I'm not from around here," River said, walking up to the boy’s table. “Are candles a tradition in this town?"</p><p>The boy's eyes widened and he nodded vigorously. “Oh yes, miss! The candles are lit on Christmas Eve and you're not to blow them out until midnight, else it's bad luck. Then you make a wish for the coming year!” He sneered at the rest of the market. <em>“They </em>all pay people to make their candles; my sister and I make them by hand. They’re sugar plum scented this year!”</p><p>River chuckled at his enthusiasm. “And do you and your sister get candles as well?”</p><p>He shrugged. “Depends on if we have any stock left at the end of the night. I always make a wish, anyway.”</p><p>How could anyone not be moved by the boy’s sincerity? River considered that for once, she actually had the right currency for this planet; she might as well spend it on something worthwhile. Besides, she rarely ever stayed anywhere for Christmas.</p><p>“I'll take one.”</p><p>The boy grinned. "Two kuwitts, please." He looked over his stock, deliberating for a moment, then picked a fine specimen of a candle and held it out to River. She placed four kuwitts on the table and took the candle. "You can keep the change.”</p><p>The boy’s mouth opened in shock. "No, miss, I couldn’t! Please, take two candles." He pushed another one towards her. “You might need it."</p><p>By the determined light in the boy’s eyes, River could see she wasn't going to win this fight. "All right, then. Thank you.” She only hoped that he retained his honesty as he grew up in this harsh environment; the universe needed more people like him.</p><p>River accepted the other candle and took a sniff. A sweet, fruity scent wafted up to her nose. “It smells lovely," she said.</p><p>"My sister does the scents. She's amazing!" He grinned. “Merry Christmas, miss!</p><p>"Merry Christmas!" But River's sentiment was only half as cheerful because the other candle made her think about the man she wanted to give it to. The man she wanted to share a wish with.</p><p>But she would wait to wish until tonight. Who knew, maybe this time her wish would actually come true. She laughed at herself and shook her head. This place was getting to her. Maybe one day she'd spend Christmas with the Doctor, but not this time.</p><p>So for now, she had an extra candle. Two wishes, perhaps? Those probably weren't the rules, but she had never been one for those, anyway.</p><p>River walked slowly through the market and was glad that she’d bought the candles from the boy; the rest of the candles did seem to be mass-produced. They looked very uniform and pretty, but she liked the authentic feel of hers much better.</p><p>But, as Christmas cheer so often did, it waned a bit. River found herself a little bored by the decorations, a little tired of the singing. But she felt a strange obligation to the candle boy to stay until midnight, so she did. Night came, and as people passed by with their lit candles, all heading toward the town square, the lights and decorations throughout the market dimmed. The result was minimal light that created a gentle, peaceful atmosphere. Voices softened in response to the setting. River got the feeling she should join the crowd in the town square where a giant Christmas tree waited to be illuminated.</p><p>She turned and walked back the way she’d come. She passed by the boy’s candle stall again and couldn’t help but glance over to see how he was doing with sales.</p><p>And she stopped. People brushed by her, but she hardly noticed. Because there was a figure standing in front of the stall. A figure that she recognised even from behind.</p><p>There was only one person in the entire cosmos with a scarf like that.</p><p>River pushed through the ever-thickening crowd to the candle stand. The Doctor glanced over at her, grinning.</p><p>“Ah, hello! I don't suppose you need another candle, do you? This fine fellow has just given me two, even though I told him to keep the change.”</p><p>River couldn't help but laugh. "No, I was rather hoping that you needed one.”</p><p>“Me?" He frowned. "Do I know you?"</p><p>"No." She couldn't resist adding: "Not yet, anyway."</p><p>"Well, I look forward to it," he said with a broad smile.</p><p>And she just couldn’t resist it. Not with this face. ”No need to." Transferring both of her candles to one hand, she extended her arm towards the Doctor. “River Song."</p><p>The Doctor had a bit more trouble balancing his two candles and for a moment River thought he might light his scarf on fire. Finally, he set the candles back on the table and shook her hand heartily. "The Doctor. What do you suppose we do with our extra candles then, eh?"</p><p>River glanced at the candle boy and smiled. "I think I have an idea."</p><p>A few minutes later, the boy, whose name they found out was Zion, and his sister Grace were holding the Doctor's and River's extra candles. Zion had tried to refuse their gift, but the Doctor reminded him that the candles were already paid for and shouldn't go to waste. He'd conceded then, so now they were all headed off towards the square.</p><p>As River walked side by side with the Doctor, she leaned closer to him and whispered, ”I wonder where their parents are.”</p><p>"Gone, I'm afraid," the Doctor replied at the same volume. "I was talking to Zion before you arrived. They live off the money from these candles for the whole year.”</p><p>Leave it to the Doctor to know all of that. "At least they seem happy,” she said as she watched the two children skip ahead.</p><p>"Sometimes the happiest people are the ones who realise they don't need money; they just need each other.” He paused, his eyes on Zion and Grace as they giggled and laughed, holding hands while they weaved through the crowds. “However, I think I do have a way to make sure they have everything they need." He tapped the side of his nose conspiratorially and winked at River.</p><p>He had the whole universe to explore, and yet he was going to spend time making sure two children had a better life. If that wasn't the definition of the Doctor, River didn't know what was.</p><p>Suddenly, a hush fell over the crowd just as they reached the square. A choir began singing a Christmas carol that River wasn’t familiar with and everyone joined in; even the Doctor sang in his loud booming voice, somehow hitting every note and word in the song perfectly. River found herself humming along once she picked up the tune. Right on the final note, a clock tower struck midnight. One by one, candles were blown out. There was complete silence apart from the quick puffing of breath. River blew out her candle and instinctively reached out to grasp the Doctor's arm, fearful of losing him in the darkness. His hand covered hers reassuringly as he blew out his own candle.</p><p>Night encompassed the entire square.</p><p>Then, without warning, everything erupted in light. A deafening cheer rose from the square as the Christmas tree was so covered in dazzling displays that the actual tree could hardly be seen.</p><p>The Doctor laughed heartily and beamed at River. “Merry Christmas, River Song!”</p><p>River couldn't help but grin back. "Merry Christmas, Doctor.” She was suddenly thrown off by the sound of church bells ringing nearby. <em>Church bells.</em> Her mind went back to the first time she’d met this Doctor, all the things he’d told her that they’d done. What were the chances?</p><p>"What did you wish for?" the Doctor asked. “Promise I won't tell."</p><p>River looked into his big blue eyes and smiled. "I didn't wish for anything. I have everything I want right now."</p><p>The Doctor blew air from his cheeks. "Well, that’s certainly better than wishing for a new sonic screwdriver."</p><p>River laughed. He never changed.</p><p>“What do you say to a late night—well, early morning—stroll? The decorations are all lit up now.”</p><p>“Will there be mistletoe?"</p><p>The Doctor made some kind of strange noise between a scoff and a laugh before deciding on, “There's bound to be, I suppose."</p><p>“Good." She linked her arm through his. “That's my favourite part of Christmas."</p><p>"What about the pudding?" the Doctor said quickly. "The lights, the trees, the singing, the candles!” He held his up as proof.</p><p>“Maybe the best Christmases are the one ones where we realise all the 'things' don't matter; it’s that we have each other.”</p><p>He glanced down at her with a brief look of incredulity. “You know, I think I rather like you, River Song."</p><p>"And I think I rather like you, Doctor.”</p><p>River noticed snow collecting on the brim of his hat. She looked up at the sky, watching as snowflakes began lazily drifting down to earth. The Doctor followed her gaze and wound his scarf around his neck one more time.</p><p>“Then it's shaping up to be a rather lovely Christmas, isn't it?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <a href="https://spicydinosaurwings948.tumblr.com/post/638359591201210368/a-little-drawing-to-go-with-this-fic-i-wrote">Here's some artwork I drew for this fic!</a>
</p></blockquote></div></div>
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